A Brief History The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair (1878–1968). Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the United States in Chicago and similar industrialized cities. Perhaps his main goal in exposing the meat industry and working conditions was to advance Socialism in the United States; however, most readers were more concerned with his exposure of health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meatpacking industry during the early 20th century, greatly contributing to a public outcry which led to reforms including the Meat Inspection Act. Sinclair famously said of the public…

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A Brief History On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World), that great beacon of freedom welcoming immigrants into New York Harbor, for many, the gateway to a better life in the United States.  Today we list 10 statues that we think are the most famous, most notable, and most significant.  What artworks would you add to this list?  (Note: The order listed has no significance, and we only considered statues that still exist.) Digging Deeper 1. The Statue of Liberty, New York City. A gift to the people of the United States…

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A Brief History On October 27, 2017, Paramount Pictures releases Suburbicon, a noir-ish “dramadey” written by the Coen Brothers and directed by George Clooney.  With the star power of Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, the film is sure to make a major splash on the movie scene.  We watched a pre-screening event on October 23, 2017 and will share our thoughts on the film. Digging Deeper The Coen Brothers have brought us a string of somewhat odd, but highly successful films, such as Fargo, The Big Lebowski (one of our favorites), No Country for Old Men, and True Grit (the…

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A Brief History On October 27, 2017, tensions between the United States and North Korea put a cloud of possible nuclear conflict facing the American people.  Meanwhile, 2017 has been a year of unprecedented major wildfires, hurricanes, and who knows what the last couple months of the year can bring?  The potential for natural or man-made disaster that results in a time of no police, no government services, no utilities, no food, no water, and no civil behavior by fellow survivors is higher than at any time since the Cold War.  As we have seen in Louisiana in the aftermath…

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A Brief History This article provides links to online versions of the various novels and films used in our class on American History after the Civil War.  Please click on the book or film’s title to read that book or watch that film online. Digging Deeper Module #1: Reconstruction and the Expansion of American Civilization, 1865-1890 Movie: Shane (1953) Module #2: America’s Appearance on the World Stage, 1890-1918 Book: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893) Book: Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks (1868) Book: The Jungle (1906) Module #3: The Interwar Years, 1918-1941 Movie: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)…

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